Gulf World shows off

Thursday

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Interacting with marine life is part of the daily routine at Gulf World Marine Park, where animals are rehabilitated for release or become part of the facility’s extended family.

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Interacting with marine life is part of the daily routine at Gulf World Marine Park, where animals are rehabilitated for release or become part of the facility’s extended family.

“We work under the National Marine Fisheries with the Florida Fish & Wildlife,” said Stephanie Nagle, education coordinator at Gulf World.

Established in 1969, Gulf World is an area coordinator for the Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

“One sea turtle was a shark attack victim, so he couldn’t be released,” Nagle said. “We find them a home and work with other facilities.”

Gulf World is filled with live exhibits and their shows, each presented twice daily, make learning fun for children and adults.

“It’s hard to go out and find all theses animals if you want to go on a boat ride and dolphin outings and see the different species,” Nagle said. “All the rough-toothed dolphins were deemed non-releasable.”

The dolphins, some with hearing impairments or too young, are part of the Sea Lion & Rough Toothed Dolphin Show, one of the four animal shows at Gulf World. Presentations also include the Reptile Show, Feathers & Furry Friends Show and Bottlenose Dolphin Show. Though the animals are trained, wild animals always are full of surprises.

“We are working on new behaviors with the animals and try to change it up. We’ve been playing Halloween music the past couple of days,” Nagle said Wednesday. “We definitely want to make it fun, but definitely add educational value to the shows. … Have more of one-on-one with the animals and experience and go outside of the box.”

The animal section of the facility will be closed Dec. 2-25 for renovation.

“The annual passes are the best deal for locals around here, basically two admissions, and we offer discounts year-round,” Nagle said. “Noah (Wells) has Christmas shows coming up in December.”

Begin the day with the Shark and Turtle Feeding at 9:40 a.m. or 1:20 p.m. when the staff feeds and talks with guests about sea turtles, nurse sharks, black tip sharks and sting rays. The Sting Ray Petting Pool offers a chance to get hands-on.

An all-day pass includes all shows as well as exhibits showcasing sharks, alligators, penguins, sea turtles, iguanas and pink flamingos inside and outside Tropical Gardens.

“Every time I see a show, I see a new animal,” Nagle said.

The shows will make you want to participate in one of the programs, such as Swim with a Dolphin, Trainer for a Day, Dolphin Day Camp or Snooze with the Sea Life. A “Meet N Greet” also has been added for the Rough-Toothed dolphins.

REPTILE SHOW: 10 a.m. and 1:40 p.m. daily. Even for those who are creeped out by snakes, the reptiles are kept at a safe distance from the audience after each crate is opened on stage. Reptiles might include the ball python or Burmese — more than 10 feet and 50 pounds, as well as the bearded dragon, and Clarence, a 5-year-old alligator.

SEA LION & ROUGH TOOTHED DOLPHIN SHOW: 10:35 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. daily. Otto, a California Sea Lion known for kissing guests, interacts with the Rough-toothed Dolphins for a friendly dose of competition in the water. Sometimes they even get a surprise visit from Fat Boy, an African black footed penguin.

“He was actually named after Harley-Davidson Motorcycles,” Nagle said. “His name kind of suits him, wider hips than the other two females. He just turned 30 a couple of weeks ago (Oct. 10). They can live into their early 30s here with our veterinarian and no predators, but usually live into their late teens or early 20s in the wild.”

FEATHERS & FURRY FRIENDS SHOW:11:15 and 2:50 daily. This lighthearted show lets favorite land animals take center stage, while feathered friends fly into the audience for tricks. The dog catcher incites laughter from the youngest audience members, while a demo will have you rethinking how eager you are to participate in the act.

Bandit, a rescued Australian Shepherd and Border Collie mix from South Carolina, will show off his tricks, along with the cats.

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN SHOW: 11:50 and 3:30 daily. Visitors come to the area seeking dolphin sightings, but you won’t see them performing like this anywhere in the Gulf. The show features Bottlenose Dolphins doing flips and swimming with trainers for a high-energy performance set to music. The first 10 rows are considered the “splash zone,” so find higher ground if you don’t want to get wet.

“Trainers love staying after the show for guests to ask questions,” Nagle added.

GULF WORLD MARINE PARK

Where: 15412 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach

Fall/Winter/Spring Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day; animal section closed Dec. 2 through Dec. 25, but the Gift Shop will be open to purchase gift items and concert tickets for the theater; night time entertainment in Tropical Garden Theatre starts at 7 p.m. in January and February